Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council voted to begin drafting rules to prohibit hydraulic fracturing and charged the city’s planning department to develop regulatory controls. A recent report from the city’s planners recommends against issuing regulations and questions the city’s ability to ban drilling activities. The report further recommended hiring outside experts to evaluate measures that would minimize the impact of oil and gas activities within the city. City lawmakers and environmental groups challenge the report and have urged planners to draft an ordinance as soon as possible.